Coffee Shops

Thieves Prey on Starbucks Customers

by Jason Best, Posted May 2nd 2011 @ 1:00PM

laptops temp thieves at starbucks Photo: Andrew*, Flickr

Starbucks has done just about everything it can to make you as comfortable as possible and to turn its ubiquitous coffee shops into your home away from home--but maybe it's made you too comfortable.

One important difference between your living room and your local Starbucks is (presumably) you don't have an army of strangers traipsing through your living room as your kick back with your iPad and your morning cup of coffee. It seems obvious enough, but apparently, according to the New York Times, it's a distinction that's increasingly lost on a number of people -- and they're losing their purses, wallets and laptops, too.

Filed under: Coffee Shops, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Will Starbucks Kill the Cake Pop?

COMMENTS 12

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 29th 2011 @ 11:00AM

Starbucks cake pops Photo: Starbucks

Please say this isn't the beginning of the end for cake pops.

Starbucks, America's largest coffee retailer, has begun serving cake pops -- and it's got the baking community up in arms. The pops are made by crumbling fresh cake and mixing the crumbs with frosting, then forming them into a ball and placing them on a stick. To make them pretty (and keep them fresh), they're dipped into a colorful candy coating.

The little pops have caught on like wildfire. (Cake that's portable, adorable, and has fewer calories than a whole slice? Sweet!) They're quickly overtaking cupcakes as the "must-have" item for baby showers, weddings, and birthday celebrations. And that's what has the folks over at Honest Cooking are worried. They know that anything that shows up at Starbucks is likely to experience backlash (and the pops they're serving up are no great shakes), and they don't want their favorite treat to meet that fate.

In an attempt to keep the pops in good favor, they've posted a killer recipe for Lemon Cream Cheese Cake Pops.

Filed under: Coffee Shops, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Starbucks Responds To Video Showing Rat On Store's Counter

COMMENTS 4

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 28th 2011 @ 2:00PM

rat at Starbucks Photo: YouTube

Despite a local resident finding what is believed to be a black rat inside a Starbucks located in Richmond, British Columbia, there is no cause for alarm, reports the Richmond Review. The YouTube video shot on April 21 shows the rodent scuttling around syrup dispensers.

As a result of the video, an environmental health inspector met with Starbucks management and quality assurance employees. Steve Chong, Richmond's chief public health inspector, told the Richmond Review that there is no indication of a rodent infestation. Pest control is now visiting the store daily, instead of weekly.

See the video of the rat below.

Filed under: Coffee Shops, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Coffee Drinkers More Loyal to McDonald's Than Starbucks

COMMENTS 68

by Jason Best, Posted Apr 14th 2011 @ 2:00PM

McDonald's coffee Photo: Old Shoe Woman, Flickr

It looks like America's favorite place for burgers may be on its way to becoming America's favorite place for cappuccinos.

Master strategists overseeing the nation's coffee wars will likely be pouring over the results of a recent independent study that finds those who get their (ever fancier) morning cup of joe from McDonald's are more loyal to the Golden Arches than coffee drinkers who visit rivals Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.

As the Wall Street Journal reports, an independent market research firm surveyed 15,000 customers. Of those that frequent either Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts most often for their daily brew, 53 percent said that they also sneak off to other competing chains during the course of a month, while only 29 percent of respondents who identified McDonald's as their primary source of hot java said the same.

Filed under: Coffee Shops, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Starbucks New Coffee Drinks: Taste Test

COMMENTS 6

by Bill Sertl, Posted Mar 10th 2011 @ 11:00AM

starbucks cup with new logo Photo: Simon Q, Flickr

We already reported on Starbucks' new coffee, cappuccino and cakes, part of the company's 40-year anniversary celebration that kicks off today, but I've now actually tasted them-yesterday, at its store in Manhattan's Soho. And I can report that the brand-new Tribute blend had subtle berry notes, perhaps hinting of currant. One sip and it was obvious that the brew was low in acidity. But what really surprised me was the realization that Tribute, which is only being offered in a limited quantity, obviously had beans from all three of the world's major coffee-growing regions-Asia (Sumatra and, if I was correct, Papau New Guinea), Africa (Ethiopia) and South America (Colombia). That seemed unusual, and I sensed that this must be the first time Starbucks had ever done such a globe-spanning blend.

Okay, all of the above is true, but the only reason I know is because the guy who manages the New York stores told us, teaching us how to taste coffee at the same time-sniff, to catch the aroma, followed by a quick gulp, to check the acidity. (Be careful the coffee isn't too hot before you gulp.) On my own, though, I can honestly report that Tribute was really good. Really good coffee, man. I also liked the new Cocoa Cappuccino, with only 150 calories, which surprised me, because I'm no chocolate fan. (My idea of a sweet treat is a pretzel.) Even more amazing, I loved the Petites, pretty little confections that give dessert a good name, and with only 200 calories each themselves.

Filed under: Coffee Shops, Reviews

Food from the Edge: The End of Espresso?

COMMENTS 3

by Rebecca Rothbaum, Posted Mar 9th 2011 @ 11:00AM

making siphon coffee Photo: tyrone warner, Flickr

Lattes are so last year. As a matter of fact, so are cappuccinos and macchiatos.

At least, that's what the emergence of a new kind of coffee bar suggests. Oh, this new breed has the requisite La Marzocco machines for those who really must have their shot, but the emphasis is on brewed coffee made using a variety of venerable counter-top contraptions, from the simple ceramic cone to the laboratory-like siphon, two glass bulbs perched above a Bunsen-burner. (Sorry, Mr. Coffee: the automatic drip still hasn't made a comeback.)

One of the latest entries into this category is WTF Coffee in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood. The bar, which opened late last year, is a sleek little storefront with no seating, only narrow shelf-like bars along the walls. All the action happens at the counter, where customers choose from a long menu of beans and roasts, and half a dozen ways to have that coffee brewed, including the siphon and pour-over cone, as well as the Chemex, a modernist hour-glass, and the more popular French press.

Billing itself as a "coffee lab," WTF invites patrons to watch as their java is made on the other side of a glass sheet. (Behind all of this, one might catch a glimpse of the espresso machine.) Not coincidentally, owner Asio Highsmith, is also behind the nearby Hideout, a modern speakeasy that also draws an audience interested in old-fashioned, fussed-over drinks. A newcomer to coffee, Highsmith cast WTF as kind of café-cum-educational center, noting that all of its coffee-making devices are available online and most cost little more than $20 a piece. In a kind of anti-marketing pitch echoed at other home-style brew bars, he added that anyone could recreate their WTF experience home.

Filed under: Trends, Coffee Shops

Regional Foods You Don't Know About

COMMENTS 2

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Feb 8th 2011 @ 3:00PM

Cioppino fish stew from San Francisco Photo: Food Thinkers, Flickr

One of the greatest things about eating in America is the wealth of regional specialties. Seems like every city has something brag about, from gumbo in New Orleans to cheese curds in Green Bay. Some have spread across the country (who hasn't sampled a version of a Philly cheesesteak?) but others have stayed under the radar. AOL Travel has two lists of regional foods you might not know about, from Rhode Island's creamy Coffee Milk to Buffalo, New York's savory Beef on Weck -- and all of them are worth a road trip.

Want to see if your local delicacy made the cut? Check out both lists on AOL Travel.

Filed under: Coffee Shops, Local Delicacies

Starbucks Introduces New VIA Guarantee

COMMENTS 4

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Feb 1st 2011 @ 4:15PM

Starbucks VIA coffee Photo: cafemama, Flickr

You have to give them credit -- Starbucks is putting their money where their mouth is. The coffee giant is so convinced that consumers will embrace their new VIA instant coffee that they've issued a guarantee: If you don't like it, they'll replace it wth a 12-ounce bag of their house roast.

The company has been working hard to get coffee drinkers on board with their new brew -- this is a nation deeply scarred by bitter Sanka crystals, after all. But we've tasted it, and VIA actually tastes like ... coffee. They use arabica beans, but the real trick is the microgrind that transforms the beans into an aromatic powder with all of the oils and flavor intact. And if you try it and it's not your thing, now Starbucks will ensure you get your caffeine fix one way or another.

Filed under: Coffee Shops, Drinks

Festivus Food: Is There An Official Donut?

COMMENTS 1

by Allen Salkin, Posted Dec 20th 2010 @ 4:00PM

krispy kreme glazed donuts Photo: Claire Sutton, Flickr

Among my many duties as the world's foremost expert on Festivus is monitoring my website www.festivusbook.com. On the site, all of the many fine points of Festivus are debated, and many grievances are aired.

One point of contention that has raged for years is whether there is an official Festivus donut. Of course a larger question is whether there should be an official Festivus anything. Festivus, of course, is an alternative holiday made famous by an episode of Seinfeld and now celebrated at parties across the country. According to the show, its essential elements are an airing of grievances, feats of strength, and instead of a tree or a menorah, an unadorned aluminum pole is the symbolic object placed in your home. In other words, Festivus, often celebrated on December 23, is a cheap, somewhat bitter holiday that requires no gifts be bought, no tinsel hung and no cards sent.

Over the years, those who throw Festivus parties have added many of their own rituals and foods. There was Festivus wine crafted in Oklahoma, St. Festivus Ale brewed in Baltimore, and, in my book, a recipe for Festivus Ham with Junior Mint and Snapple Glaze (delicious, I assure you.)

All of this stuff is homespun. Since Festivus is a holiday with no intrinsic meaning, made famous by a show about nothing, the very idea of anything being "official" about it offends many Festivus friendly folk. And so when on December 22, 2006, someone with the user name Fifi posted the following, it started a storm: "Declaration by reason, that the Krispy Kreme donut be the donut for all Festivus parties!"

Filed under: Bakeries, Coffee Shops

Starbucks Holiday Brews Are Back (With a Two-for-One Deal)

COMMENTS 2

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Nov 17th 2010 @ 12:00PM

Starbucks Product Red mug by Jonathan Adler Photo: Business Wire

Your eggnog jones is about to be satisfied. Tomorrow Starbucks is bringing back their holiday specials, including the Eggnog Latte. Gingerbread Men (and Women) can go for the Gingerbread Latte, and there are Caramel Brulée Latte and Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha, too. The Christmas Blend (regular and Espresso Roast) is also back, with its hints of pumpkin pie and gingerbread, and this year you can try it in an instant with the new VIA Ready Brew version. And from November 18 to 21, you can buy one of the holiday joes and get one free. For a chic kaffeeklatsch, sip your spicy brew from designer Jonathan Adler's new ceramic STARBUCKS (RED) To-Go Cup (above). As with all the STARBUCKS (RED) offerings, part of the proceeds from sales go to the Global Fund, which helps combat AIDS in Africa.

Filed under: Holidays, Coffee Shops, Deals / Free Food